Since the Kyoto meeting on global warming, the environmental problem has been reported very often on television or in the newspaper, and has been discussed. In these discussions, disposal of plastics, especially from various viewpoints, such as the dearth of refuse disposal places, dioxin generation, environmental beautification, and protection of an ecosystem, is important. At the place of work or the home, separate collection of garbage is advancing quickly. An environmental problem has come to be felt as a familiar problem also in everyday life. One direction in which solutions to this problem are progressing is that used plastics are being collected for material-recycling and for thermal recycling as fuel. As a fundamental approach, develop ment of a biodegradable plastic was studied and various biodegradable plastics have been developed. Among these plastics, polylactate is receiving the most attention because it is made from biomass and it is effective for a continuously developing society. It is thought that a world wide market for polylactic acid can be developed.
